It is important at the time to take the number of suspicious vehicles, but DO NOT INTERVENE.

What is ‘suspicious’?

It is common for thieves to ‘check out’ the area before committing an offence. They are not invisible so you are looking for:

Some thing or behaviour that strikes you as, different, or unusual, to the ‘norm’ for your area e.g. car parked in unusual place, or one slowly cruising around the area, day or night.

Trust your ‘gut feeling’, don’t try to rationalise the incident away.

You will never be criticised by Police for using 101, no matter how trivial it seems; do not think you are ‘bothering’ them, that is their job.

Police work is largely ‘intelligence led’, and if they are to operate effectively, the ‘intelligence’ needs to come from you the public, always reporting crime, or suspicious behaviour.

If you are worried about preserving your anonymity, you could report the matter via Crimestoppers (see direct connection button on front of this ‘app’ or 0800 555111. More info at ‘www.crimestoppers-uk.org’).

Crimestoppers is an independent charity, they are not part of the Police. They do not ask for personal details, anonymity is guaranteed. No one can find out who has contacted them; calls do not appear on major mobile provider bills.